Colorful and moving film dealing with a solitary man who becomes a gifted pianist in a luxury ship

Rating: 6/10 (18 July 2012)

Nostalgic and sensitive picture with stirring drama , ravishing cinematography and moving musical score . An epic story of a man who could do anything , except be ordinary . Shortly after the Second World War, Max , a transplanted American (Pruitt Taylor Vince) , visits an English pawn shop to sell his trumpet , there meets a shopkeeper (Peter Vaughan) and a peculiar musical single . Then Max tells the tale in flashback after learning a ship has been condemned (there was actually a registered ship named the SS Virginian which was built in 1904 and scrapped around 1954). As an abandoned infant is discovered aboard the luxury liner in 1900 and reared by an engine labourer (Bill Nunn) and the crew . As an adult is nicknamed Novecento (Tim Roth) and he has become an expert pianist , but since 1900 remains an enigma .
The picture contains drama and nostalgia completely wrapped in an enjoyable story between a lone pianist and a trumpet player . The story is narrated with great sense and sensibility , the intelligent screenplay based on monologue Novecento by Alessandro Baricco was written by the same Giuseppe Tornatore . Slightly overrated but excellent all the same time , the picture is enjoyable and entertaining , but overlong . Magnificent performance from Tim Roth as virtuoso pianist in the ship's orchestra who has superstitiously never set foot off the boat and Pruitt Taylor Vince as his trumpet man friend . Good acting from remaining cast such as Bill Nunn as Danny Boodmann , Clarence Williams III as Jelly Roll Morton , Mélanie Thierry as The Girl , Gabriele Lavia as Farmer and Peter Vaughan as'Pops', the Shopkeeper . Originally released under various titles and at 170 minutes , it was re-cut and still had its problems . Glowing cinematography with scenarios colorfully and splendidly photographed by Lajos Koltai who reflects the elegant scenarios .As exterior shots of the ship are the inspired blueprints of the SS Lusitania and her sister ship the SS Mauritania, the ballroom in which 1900 plays his piano in had a dome similar to the dome the SS Mauritania had in her ballroom during the transatlantic period . Rousing and moving score musical by the veteran master and prolific Ennio Morricone who was nominated with a deserved Gloden Globe . The picture was well directed by Giuseppe Tornatore who made similar nostalgic films including good actors , such as the excellent ¨Cinema Paradise¨ with Philippe Noiret , ¨Malena¨ with Monica Belucci , ¨ The star maker¨ with Sergio Castellito and ¨Baaria¨ with Raoul Bova ; being his English-language debut feature titled ¨The professor¨ with Ben Gazzara . Rating of ¨La Leggenda del Pianista Sull'Oceano" (original title) or "The Legend of 1900" or "The Legend of the Pianist on the Ocean : Better than average, well worth watching for exceptional cinematography , first-rate acting and wonderful score .